$500,000 to WSU Wine Science Center

From staff reports

Washington State University Tri-Cities received a five-hundred thousand dollar donation from the Albert Victor Ravenholt Foundation.

The donation from the foundation, which is named after the Sagemoor Vineyards co-founder, will be used for various purposes. 

“$400,000 will be used towards building the $23 million project to build a wine science building on the WSU Tri-cities campus,” said Casey Fox, director of development for wine sciences. “The other $100,000 will go towards and endowed lectured series.”

“The lecture series will be different speakers that come in and discuss grape growing and other areas of wine science. These speakers are for students, faculty, and industry members,” said Thomas Henick-Kling, director of the Viticulture & Enology program.

The goal for the new building is to have a modern LEED Research and Teaching Facilities in the heart of wine country in Richland, Washington. 

The viticulture programs offer a technical, scientific, and practical experience needed to gain skills for growing grapes and premium wines. The hands-on curriculum is the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest.

Reporting by Sophia Steele